Leaf House by Mareines and Patalano – Angra dos Reis, Brazil

Laminated wood: Esmara estruturas de madeira
Windows: Eurocentro
Copper: Didine

The Leaf House, a marvelous piece of architecture designed by Mareines + Patalano Arquitetura (Architecture Company in Brazil) and is located in Angra dos Reis, close to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The design is quite unique as its inspiration is Indo-Brazilian in nature. This structure is built to neutralize the hot and humid weather of the area it is built in.

Leaf House private pier — Leaf House Private Pier
© Leonardo Finotti

This beach home is actually covered by a giant roof which is in the shape of various leaves. These leaves cover the enclosed portion of the house and keep it cool.

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interior — Leaf House Interior
© Leonardo Finotti

The Leaf House has no corridor. The inside and the outside of the house are fused together. Glazed sliding doors are installed to allow the sea breeze inside the house.

leaf house living and dining — Living & Dining Area
© Leonardo Finotti

The swimming pool is curvy in shape and it snakes into the house. While it passes below the dining room, it converts into a pond having fishes and aquatic plants in it. It extends to the rear “veranda”. The veranda is the resting space having 5 of the Brazilian Indian style hammocks. This space is called the “Brazilian Lounge” by the constructors of the house.

leaf roof — Leaf House Roof
© Leonardo Finotti

The leaf-like structure of the roof is made of composite reforestation wood (Eucalyptus) which is capable of covering big areas. In this case, 20 meters is the biggest one here and it is quite delicate and soft to the aesthetics. The roof is covered with small reforestation wooden tiles (Pinus Taeda) that have adapted beautifully to the complex surface of the roof. Rainwater is also collected through the steel column placed in the center. This water is reused in gardening and toilet.